Thoughtful conversations for Women’s Day: Of my grand aunt and other stories

My grand aunt is a hundred years old.

- SANDHYA MENDONCA

Her grandson told me that she remembers the names of everyone in the extended family. And until a recent fall injured her shoulder, she could write beautifully without an error.If they had educated her, she would have surpassed her brothers, who all became engineers, and even the most brilliant older brother, who became an award-winning scientist, he said. But she was married off at barely 12, though she completed her 10th standard. Her eldest sister, my maternal grandmother, had only been allowed to study till the 4th grade. We remember them as wise and practical; it never occurred to any of us to discount their intelligence. They educated their daughters and supported their careers. And raised their sons to respect their working spouses.

Stepping into March, I look at all the women who have lifted us and held us up—our grandmothers, mothers, and aunts—with marvel and gratitude. This legacy of resilience makes me ponder why, despite all the doors pushed open, the path to fulfilment for many women still feels impossibly hard. It's a good time to look beyond the mandatory slew of events for International Women’s Day and ask ourselves how we can get beyond tokenism. Beyond the advocacy for gender diversity, what's really happening out there?